Boog's Blog

2 October Monday
Warm, windy.

Breakfast like a real French housewife: went to the market for figuo, gaztanbera, bread, etc.

While gobbling our truffled omelettes at the market yesterday we met two perfect Parisians. The perfect young woman ordered the figou and ate a thin slice on a tiny sliver of bread. She explained that it is a young goat cheese with fig jam ( the purple stuff) inside. Whole, it looks like a large head of garlic. The cheese is very mild and the fig jam is fairly subtle. Very nice.

As to the gaztanbera:

https://fr.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaztanbera

QB has her first French aperol spritz, she pronounced it well made and to her liking.

Tried to get piperade for dinner. Qb found a place that has it on the menu. Nope, have none, would you like green beans with your gambas?

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2 October Sunday
A little cloudy, no rain

Decided to stay here longer as opposed to going sooner back to San Sebastian. Both are excellent but the cuisine and language (I.e., annoying the French with our bad accents) as well as Biarritz being interesting persuaded us.

Hotel upgraded us to a junior suite, large with an excellent view. Very nice of them.

Brunch at the market. Perfect omelette with autumn truffles, some cheese and local hams. A Parisian couple next to us, perfect in looks and manners, were here for the festival. We were unsuccessful in asking about a piperade serving place. This may be pays-Basque but generally in name only. They shared a fine looking figou.

Apples, pears, bread, Basque cake all acquired for the room.

Found a nice plage marked "sans tabac". Very well used with swimmers, bathers and sun sitters.

Many many surfers in the designated surfing areas. Long wait for good waves.

Another good spot is found among a fine collection of natural rocks, varied outcroppings, many look like what children's parks are designed to have. These, naturally, are far more majestic. QB found them so lovely that a small, but tasteful, double eye leak occurred. A hug may have comforted her.

During our brunch today the perfect couple explained that Basque and other cuisines are out, hamburgers are in. As we walked the very tasteful casino shopping area, as well as the palace area their comments were evident.

A short swim before dinner. Bright sun and cool wind kept it short.

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Saturday 1 October
Some rain forecasted and arrived. On and off all day.

Speciality coffee and tea place next to the market, looked perfect for a pre market tea.
However, they do not know how to use excellent ingredients. Made acceptable rather than excellent. Prepared a pot of hot water and while it was cooling went to fill sacs of fine tea. Did not tamp down the freshly ground coffee before putting it into the machine.

Fromages Pont l'evecque and compte from the market on fresh bread became our breakfast. A large fun market with variety and energy.

Later QB refused to leave a small tip at an overpriced cafe overlooking the sea. Served her cold milk, quel horreur, with her café au lait. We sent it back as is only right.

In a shoe store we were discussing the American election. When I mentioned the affair of her husband and her not leaving him as an item of revulsion by some, the response I got, in reference to not leaving, "who hasn't?"

Lovely seafood dinner at Bar Jean. Razor clams, large gambas, moules and soggy fries. I pointed out the latter and the garçon said, no, this is how they are supposed to be. Started up with we don't know France. I explained we have been coming longer than her is alive. He resorted to, well these are home made and this is the way we make them at home. He got no tip.

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30 September Friday
A little cooler but not enough.

Translated from the Spanish: "Is this the right bus to San Sebastian?" I ask. "No! You take the premium black bus" ( you stupid tourist muttered). Bus pictured.

On the bus they came around and offered nuts, chips, hot and cold drinks, all included with the wifi. And movies, headphones. One hour bus ride.

Bobby: be sure to book Premium, best to do a day ahead as it fills up. We took the 11:20

Biarritz: smoking everywhere. Basically must sit inside although weather is fab. Every bar, cafe, restaurant filled, it being Friday, with smokers. Tables seem available inside.

Got lucky, our hotel is near the food street and market. Lots to see, eat, and people watch through a cloud of smoke.

Had a nice Saint Emilion with dinner, been a long time.

Great views from hotel to the city and ocean.

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Thursday 29 September
Continued warm, hot

Breakfast at cafe Iruña, an old favorite. An obligatory visit to the gazpacho section of El Corte, and then to have a PSL at Starbucks. A favorite seasonal drink for QB.

Guggenheim has the hot dog vendors theme according to a telegraph article. When we got to the museum we were told no. Closed. Only open for the summer.

Stella piece, outstanding

-Warhol, boring, one theme of 102 similar panels.

-L'Ecole de Paris, an interesting exhibit called with many of the very famous modernists of the first half of the 20th century

Then a refreshing gazpacho with some watermelon mixed in.

Dinner at El Globo, one of our favorite pinxos places. Excellent as it has been in the past.

Dinner capped by Basque street dancers, pic on Flickr..

Ah, then a cuojada made with sheep milk.

A fine day overall.

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Wednesday 28 September
Warm to hot day, temperature well up.

Fly to Bilbao late afternoon.

Morning walk, found melindras de Galicia, an anise based cookie that qb especially liked.

http://st-listas.20minutos.es/images/2012-04/327012/3482403_640px.jpg?1334650656

During a conversation at a local cafe the owner explained why gallego is so prominent on signs and menus: the government pays the shop owners to use gallego. Included an interesting discussion about entrepreneur in Spain versus USA as well as his, similar, take on Spanish cuisine by region.

Pic taken from the park.

New 5 year old airport in Santiago

Arrived Bilbao and took the local bus right to the front of our hotel. Pinxos for dinner.

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Tuesday September 27
A little warmer, no rain

Morning cuajada,a very Spanish desert or morning yogurt variation; we first saw it as a dessert on the previous Camino. Now also made by Dannon. Have never seen it in the states.

Lazy day with a longish walk in the park, reading, relaxing.

We tried, and failed, three times to get a certificate. Each time we went to the office that hands them out, assuming you have a completed passport of stamps, the line stretched far too long, longer, possibly, in time than some walls.

A real dinner tonight, not a tapas one. The hotel has a gallego restaurant with a gallego menu, natch. Sardines, rice, seafood.

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Monday, 26 September, a little warmer.

Chores and maintenance day. Send boots and dirty socks home, beard trim, laundry…..

Shoe shopping and a T-shirt at the correos, aka the Spanish post office. Quite a cute shirt. Naturally they gave us the wrong size and we had to exchange it.

Percepes,a favorite of Bobby; us, not so much.

Something we rarely do, have wine on the bar.

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Sunday 25 September
Decent weather

Trip to Finisterre, paid tour bus with lunch etc.

First stop is at a Roman bridge in use since Roman times. Only way until recently to cross the river on the way to Finisterre. Lovely little town with a waterfall and mill. About 20 kms from Santiago. Ponte Maceira.

Sixteenth century horreo, timing due to corn, potatoes and tomatoes from the New World. An especially large one attached to what once was a monastery.

Short stop in muxía for coffee and a visit to the spectacular coastal church.

Finisterre: small double eye leak by QB. Picture is at km 0.000

Another fine tapas dinner with coffee and postre at the hotel lounge.

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A blog comment on a social observation about our cohort. There have been almost no comments or discussion on the blog or in the blog.

Comments and discussions and even threads have all occurred in email. SMS via Allo have lead to some of the best sharing even though Google Allo is out only week a week or so.

Fab shower here at the hotel as well as fab beds. A nice hotel to return to after another long schlep.

Pilgrim mass at the cathedral. Two each day for obvious reasons. Wonderful sound in the cathedral, long, one hour, mass. QB took a video of the famous swinging fumeiro.
https://flic.kr/p/M7ksPY

Many other cathedral pics on Flickr.

Tried to get a haircut. Sorry, closing in a while, come back Monday.

After dinner, tapas, we planned to go to an evening bilingual pilgrims mass which read a small sign about at the cathedral. While waiting outside in the rain for the doors to open we meet some Germans waiting with us. They were waiting for the German tour at the same time. Nope.

YUUGE ball of string. Turned out to be a Spanish language vigil and tour with priest, completed with burning of symbolic paper in the cloister, tour and history of the Gloria door (under scaffolding), a speech at a chapel, pilgrim testaments up on the main altar, and a visit to the sepulcher. All with singing, even a bit in Latin which we have never heard.

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